A hygrometer is a crucial piece of hardware with applications in various industries, from automotive to medical to food production. These sensors find applications in such varied fields because if an industrial facility seeks to develop a controlled atmosphere, it would require a well-functioning sensor that monitors the humidity first and foremost. Whether the reason to maintain the humidity is for safety applications, environmental control, functional requirements, or comfort, choosing the right kind of humidity sensors for the job is crucial.
This article shall discuss all the important factors and questions to look for before picking the right sensor for your purpose.
By being aware of the questions to ask when deciding on the right sensors for your needs, you can guarantee the smooth running of your operations and ensure a longer life for your hardware. While the most obvious factors to consider would be to decide on a budget and assess your requirements, here are some key parameters you must consider before setting out to buy the sensors.
- Size
- Interchangeability
- Life cycle
- The suitable resistances of the sensor to any contaminants or chemicals that it may be exposed to
The Different Types of Sensors
Before getting to the factors you’d have to consider, it is worth understanding and considering the various types of humidity sensors available today, each of which works on different working principles and hence finds varied applications in practical use.
- Thermal Conductivity Sensor: These sensors measure absolute humidity. They can perform this by computing the difference measured in the conductivity of dry air to the conductivity of the air that contains elements of water vapour. This sensor uses a thermistor element to set up a bridge circuit and calculate the difference in the resistance.
- Resistive Sensor: This sensor measures the electrical change that may have developed by a conductive substance. This system utilises the AC excitation voltage and a set of electrodes to process a data value for relative humidity.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing the Right Sensors for Your Need
- Accuracy: The most crucial aspect of a sensor to consider would have to be its accuracy. The better the accuracy, the higher the costs. That said, not everyone would need a sensor that computes values accurately down to the decimals. So decide how accurate you’d want your sensors to be and look for ones in those ranges.
- Interchangeability: The costs can be influenced by the interchangeability of the sensors, which may tend to cause vibrations that may require additional calibration costs.
- Condensation: You may be required to factor in the costs of additional condensation-resistant filters if it is present where you’d like to set the sensors up.
- Power: The power consumption of a sensor may greatly impact the long-term costs it may incur for operating it.
Along with these factors, you must review various setup considerations based on the applications. For instance, for industrial applications, you may have to consider the environmental conditions of the system and whether the humidity sensors are suitable for resisting the effects of the chemicals and contaminants present in the surroundings. In this way, for different use cases, different industry-specific parameters must also be taken into account.
Summing Up
As this article explains, various factors must be considered when choosing the humidity sensors suitable for your requirements. Choosing an appropriate sensor for your requirements shall ensure the success and cost-effectiveness of your project.
